Poudre School District teachers share why they marched at the Colorado Capitol Friday, April 27, 2018.
Kelly Ragan

Thousands of teachers and supporters hold up a variety of different signs and end their rally in front of the capital building after marching from Civic Center Park in Denver, Colo., on Friday, April 27, 2018. (Dougal Brownlie/The Gazette via AP)(Photo: Dougal Brownlie, AP)

Educators, activists and parents began to gather at Civic Center Park around 9 a.m. Many folks wore red, a nod to the #RedForEd movement. They practiced chants, waved signs and sang songs before marching around the Capitol building.

“You left me no choice, you made me use my teacher voice.”

“Whose schools? Our schools.”

“When public ed is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back.”

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Miranda Markland, left, a French teacher at Preston Middle School, and Lorraine Schippers, a special education teacher at Boltz Middle School, make signs in Fort Collins before boarding a bus to head to Denver on Friday. Miles Blumhardt/The Coloradoan

If approved, the proposed $672.4 million negative factor for 2018-19 would be a $150 million drop from this year's $828.3 million negative factor.

"That's still $670 million that you guys are owed," Hickenlooper said. "I recognize that."

Martha Petty, who teaches media studies at Harris Bilingual and has been part of PSD for 30 years, said she's "had enough of not having enough."

“I’ve been teaching for 32 years. I still love the kids and I still want to make it great. So, Colorado, make it great.”

Former Colorado State Treasurer Cary Kennedy, who is running for governor, pledged to pass permanent Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) reform if elected "so we can permanently fund our schools."

"We need to give you a raise," Kennedy said. "We need to give you a professional salary you deserve. ... We need to give you retirement security because you've earned it."

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Teachers gathered at the Colorado Capitol Friday, April 27, 2018, to advocate for more K-12 funding and retirement protections for teachers.
Kelly Ragan

At 2 p.m., the crowd converged on the west steps of the Capitol. A sea of red spilled out onto the grass and filled nearly every inch of standing room.

Speakers encouraged teachers to fight for equity as much they fight for more funding. They also encouraged teachers to sign a petition to get Initiative 93, a graduated income tax that would help fund public education to the tune of $1.6 billion, on the ballot.

Martin Park, a technology education teacher at Fossil Ridge High School, said he believes education is the cornerstone of a highly functioning society.

A quality public education helps everyone start on the same footing, Park said, adding that funding is one of the most important things society can do for education.

“If we continually transform our education and become a society that really values education, I think it will solve a lot of the issues we have in our greater society."

Back in Fort Collins, about 100 educators from all over Northern Colorado and their supporters who couldn’t make it to Denver held signs and waved at honking cars driving by at the intersection of Drake Road and College Avenue Friday afternoon.

Retired PSD teacher Cindy Way Devine joined her friend Penny Mitchell, a Bauder Elementary School teacher for 25 years. Way Devine said students need so much, like mental health care and classroom materials, and most teachers end up spending a lot money out of their pockets to support those needs.

“We appreciate the support of our administration,” Way Devine said. “We need to get to our legislators.”

While they weren’t able to go down to Denver today, Way Devine said it was equally meaningful to support the cause locally.

“Here in Fort Collins we support our children, we love our children and we love their children,” she said. “It’s great to hear the community support.”